Extremely short reach for height?

[pkhr22]

I have incredibly short arms for my height. I really want to start boxing and compete, but my reach problem is discouraging me to do so. I'm at a huge disadvantage in every possible way i can think of: taller = bigger target, small arms = hard to keep distance, small arms also = more difficult to cover and block punches.

Even Pacquiao has LONGER reach than me and I am THREE inches taller than him.

Any advice please?

Stats: 5f"9in - with 66 1/2inch reach at 152lb's.

[0james0]

If you are tall, I imagine you have long legs, that's going to help you get around the ring quicker and easier.

Physical attributes help, but skill is surley more important?

Having said that, I know nothing as I'm simply a wannabe boxer who has done no more than train. And that was a long time ago!

[nikola_ganchev]

I think the best for you is to obtain some counter style. Staying back there waiting till someone comes for you... Than there is no matter how long your arms are, you are goning to be awlays able to hit the other guy, if you can move properly... The problem hier is to make the other guy to lead... In my opinion your physic is not for a in fighter who wants to rush in like Henry Armstrong or Dempsey. It will be difficult for you to overpower the oder boxer and you are going to punch downwards, but who knows . In oder hand when you are waiting the oder guy to come to you and you counters, you must be able to land some wicked hooks with this short hands of yours...

[Andre]

You have some things to get over it doesn't matter you wont be placed in with Lennox Lewis straight away.

We all have strengths and weaknesses some are mental some are physical some are other things like wrong life choices in regards to who we take notice of or try to emulate .

Me, I got a chin like doughnut or maybe a brain that shuts down when its hit hard .

(you may be lucky enough to have a head like a brick bat and heart as big as a lion?)

Fighting (once you have learned the basics) and are competent in balance and power on delivery and evasion...its then all about timing and distances.

You can disrupt people at their own preferred distance with your shorter arms extended but you will have to distance with your mind then your footwork, so you stop their arms from attacking at your preferred range as you move; (it is only two arms verses two arms at the end of the day.) If you can stop their two arms with yours, the fight wont even occur. That is distance and timing and reflexes during contact. I would study when someone can reach you and when they cant reach you and work at making contact with their forearms at that exact range.
If you work on disruption or as the post above suggested you learn divine timing and catch them coming in then you have to practice in shadow boxing and sparring taking your next combination's into your preferred working distance which will have to be nose to nose ) once you have disrupted them.

When someone with a good inside game <(That will be you ) is on the inside of someone else s arms who has longer arms and prefers an outside long range fight; the opposition have to adjust their distance with their feet to be able to get off clean,when you are inside them.

Study your opponents, some will be shorter than you with short arms like you, they will try to fight as you do against people with longer reach but you will know their game and be onto it too.

Learn what you can,adjust it to yourself personally: then more than anything else enjoy yourself with it so that you move free in whatever you do. in life; boxing or not. When and if you stop enjoying something, move on, no regrets.

[X]

Boxing is not always about your physicality.

Having a short reach can easily be mitigated against by having solid technique and, above all, by having good timing and coordination. Someone with good 'hand/eye' coordination will be a better fighter than someone who just has long arms. I have seen Mike Tyson outjabbing opponents with much longer arms than he had.

Rocky Marciano and Joe Frazier overcame their short arms by being inside fighters with a high workrate, Jack Dempsey didnt half do bad either!!

Timing, technique ....... and the brains to evolve a fighting style that suits you will always overcome something like having a slightly short reach for your height.

Dont quit just because you think your reach is short. If you're going to quit, at least be honest with yourself why you are doing it (ie not good enough, not dedicated eough, not interested enough or whatever), but having concerns about your reach is not a genuine reason as it can easily be overcome.

Good luck!

[CFH]

Maybe it's not the right sport for you.

Just quit.

Fuck off. The guy came here for advice, there's no need to be a dick. It makes the whole forum look bad.

[CFH]

As someone who's done nothing more than spar a handful of times, I don't have any concrete advice for you. However, I would think that it would behoove you to focus on in-fighting and learning to get inside. I think that in a way your short arms could work to your benefit. Unless they're freakishly short, which I kind of doubt, I'd imagine many of your shorter opponents will try to get inside on you because you hold a height advantage over them and theoretically that could play right into your hands.

[:::PSL:::]

Maybe it's not the right sport for you.

Just quit.

Fuck off. The guy came here for advice, there's no need to be a dick. It makes the whole forum look bad.

I'm being a dick? Hey. It's just an honest opinion. At least that's what I would do if I was in his situation. He said it himself... too many disadvantage for him. Chances are, he could seriously hurt himself.

[HerbM]

Maybe it's not the right sport for you.

Just quit.

Fuck off. The guy came here for advice, there's no need to be a dick. It makes the whole forum look bad.

I'm being a dick? Hey. It's just an honest opinion. At least that's what I would do if I was in his situation. He said it himself... too many disadvantage for him. Chances are, he could seriously hurt himself.

Yes, you were being impolite and unhelpful -- although I would not have worded it in the same language.

If you have nothing constructive to add then it probably is best not to post.

Now, if you had offered some constructive advice and perhaps added that a professional career was going to be a challenge or some such then that would have been a reasonable example of "honesty", but just because someone is not ideally suited to boxing doesn't mean they shouldn't be encouraged to maximize their actual ability and that they shouldn't enjoy the SPORT.

To keep this post (of mine) on topic, allow me to add:

In fighting seems to be a good (general) strategy. Find ways to maximize your (short) reach and minimize or inhibit the fellow with the longer reach.

Movement is going to be a key element. It will be very difficult for a short armed fighter to stand directly in front of an opponent (without closing tightly) -- I know this due to having exceptionally LONG arms.

While all boxers SHOULD move, having such a disadvantage will make this skill critically important to develop as fully as possible.

I do sympathize with the original poster -- while I face a few challenges boxing a t age 58 and with knees that are pretty much shot, one of my favorite things that I have to my advantage are the arms of a guy 5-6 inches taller.

Seriously dude -- I really do get how frustrating it would be to have shorter arms.

As long as people are asking for help lets all try to be helpful.

--
Herb

[:::PSL:::]

Okay, jebuz!

pkhr,

Sorry. I can be insensitive prick sometimes.

You do have short arms for your height. Now..

I'm guessing you have longs legs, or long turso. If you have long turso then you're pretty much shit out of luck bud. All I can say is stay away from the ropes, cuz once you get cornered then you won't be able to protect your head and body at the same time. Keep moving, and dart in and out when you attack.

I hope that helps. Goodluck.